Ventilated ironing shoe



May 9, 1950 D. A. LUNDY 2,507,029

VENTILATED IRONING SHOE Filed April l0, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IMay 9,1950 D. A. LUNDY VENTILATED IRONING SHOE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April10, 1946' Patented May 9, 1950 UNITED STATS PTENT GFFICE This inventionrelates to a shoe and roll combination in an ironing machine wherein thesteam created in drying the fabrics during the ironing operation isvented through the shoe in such a manner as to render the ironingoperation more efcient and effective.

Heretofore, in ironing fabrics it has been the custom to vent anddissipate the steam through the padding on an ironing roll or throughthe padding of a buck of a press ironing machine. With this method ofironing, the fibers of the pads are also softened as well as the fabricsthrough the steaming of the moisture in the fabrics and the heat fromthe shoe drives such moisture directly into the pad. While such pad isalso under pressure through the force exerted .by the ironing shoe, suchpads also become compacted and ironed, so to speak, so that these padseventually lose their resiliency and should be replaced for the purposeof maintaining the proper ironing efficiency and effectiveness.

When an ironing shoe is removed from any part of the pad, the steamcondenses and meistens the pad thereby interfering with subsequentironing and drying of fabrics. Such a dampened pad takes additional heateach time it is brought into contact with the shoe, consuming heat thatis needed for ironing new fabrics. Furthermore, the maximum temperatureof a shoe in an ironing machine is limited to the maximum currentavailable and usable for heating domestic ironers and such limits dependupon the maximum current output which may be drawn from a standardoutlet in a home.

During the ironing in a conventional shoe construction with a paddedroll, the steam escapes from under the edges of the shoe, falling forthe most part, either on already ironed fabrics where it resoftens thesame, or the steam moves to unironed fabrics where it adds excessivemoisture requiring more heating than is sometimes available from thewidth of the ironing shoe. The portion of the steam escaping towards theoperator offers real danger from steam burns under conditions Where themoisture is too excessive while under the influence of the shoe pressurewhile ironing.

Certain extreme conditions may also exist in the conventional ironingmachine wherein the steam is driven downward into the padding or mustescape under the ironing shoe. When a pad becomes packed or in the caseof the use of a vapor proof pad or cover, the steam formed under thecentral portion of the shoe cannot escape with ease into the well packedpad nor at all in the vapor proof pad. Through the absorption of furtherheat from the shoe, this steam becomes superheated to a point where itovercomes the downward pressure of the shoe and necessarily escapessideways by momentarily raising the shoe.

While so raised, the fabric beneath the shoe is apt to be forced into awrinkled state which is immediately pressed under the action of the shoepressure.

It is one of the main objects of the shoe and roll construction in thepresent invention to provide an ironing means which will overcome all ofthe foregoing objections and Which will eiiiciently and effectively ironfabrics due to the proper distribution and dissipation of the steam thatis created by the shoe from the fabrics under ironing conditions.

With the use of the shoe of the present invention, it is possible to usea shoe of less width than the conventional ironing shoes for the simplereason that the moisture is more quickly withdrawn from the fabrics anddissipated, drying such fabrics under a shorter eiective ironing contactarea. This permits the use of a smaller shoe, and obviously, of asmaller diameter roll which lessens the cost of an ironing machine andwhich may also be mounted to occupy less head room making such anironing machine of smaller overall dimensions as a direct result of thesmaller shoe and roll. As a word of explanation, it should be noted thatironing is accomplished by first softening the bers in the fabrics andthen by holding the same under pressure as by use of an ironing shoe,until all of the moisture is driven out of the fabrics and the fibersthereof at which time such fabrics assume the smooth and fiattenedironed condition. For this reason, the ironing rolls of the presentconventional design are all of excessive width as far as ironingcontacting surface is concerned to insure a thorough drying of thefabrics. Also, in direct connection with the conventional ironing shoeand roll, it is sometimes necessary to obtain the proper drying andironing results in machines wherein the pad has become compact to iron asecond time to successfully dissipate the moisture or steam generatedthrough the action of the hot shoe.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means for steamingor venting directing vapors in guided relation to the surface of thefabric and in a predetermined propagating manner to either collect andredistribute or to definitely dispense the water vapors. Further, such ameans acts to systematically direct the vaporization action of the shoein a predetermined pattern effectively acting upon the entire width ofte fabric subjected to the ironing action of the s oe.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide the ironingsurface or face of the shoe with indentations or grooves that arearranged to provide venting means and which can be placed upon thesurface of the shoe in a predetermined pattern that will automaticallyact to spread .fabric beneath Vthe shoe or to stretch the same, therebyeliminating wrinkles from the fabric while it is moving beneath theshoe.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a combination ofvented shoe and padded roll wherein the covering material of the roll isresilient but impervious to moisture absorption so that the entiresteaming of the fabrics within the ironing Contact area shall be takenout of the fabric through the venting means incorporated in this shoe tobe properly dissipated and in a direction away from the operatoreliminating steam vapor from rising towards the operator and thusrendering the ironing operation more comfortable and less tedious.

All other objects and advantages relating to the present inventionlshall hereinafter appear in the following detailed description havingref'- erence to the accompanying drawingsforming a part of thisspecification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the ironing face of an ironingshoe Vincorporating the princi- `ples set forth by the presentinvention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the shoe in Fig.

1 on an enlarged scale and designating the various Zones or areas of the'shoe in the language of the functions performed by such variousconsecutive areas of the ironing shoe `of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse cross sectional view through the shoesubstantially as indicated by the line 3 3 in Fig. 1 with the additionof the ironing roll illustrated in ironing combination;

Fig. 4 is a similar transverse cross sectional face of the ironing shoewherein such vents are not continuous but are interruptedas shown.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the preferred construction ofironing shoe comprises the plate I having an ironing surface providedwith suitable narrow saw cuts or grooves 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 'I and 8 whichrun throughout the length of the shoe plate and terminate short of theends thereof to provide smooth ironing edges 9 and lil at the ends ofthe shoe.

As shown in Figs. l and 4, vertical connecting cross ducts or vents areshown at intervals across the length of the shoe. These vents aredivided into certain connecting groups for the purpose of joiningcertain of the grooves that extend across the shoe. A plurality ofsliort vertical vents II, I2 and I3 connect the grooves 2 and 3 atcertain intervals to cause a distribution of the steam generated anddispersed through such vents during the ironing operation. Additionalvertical vents Ill, I5 and i6 connect the cross grooves 4, 5, 6, 'I and8 while each of such vents are connected with suitable dischargeconduits or pipes I'I, i8 and It respectively, these latter conduitsdispensing the vapor or steam generated under the ironing shoe into theatmosphere and to the rear of the entire structure and in a. directionaway from the operator.

The rear surface of the shoe plate i is provided with a cover 20 tightlysecured to this back surface of the shoe to enclose the 'transversevents just described, such cover 20 being best illustrated in Figs. 3and 4. The electrical heating element 2l is mounted directly upon thecover 29 to transmit heat by conduction directly through the cover 2]into the shoe plate I and, of course, directly into the fabric confinedbetween the shoe I and the ironing roll 22 shown in conjunction with theshoe.

In addition to the foregoing transverse vents, it should be noted thatthe cover 20 is provided with the embossed longitudinal duct 23 whichextends between the outer cross vents II and I3 of the shoe as indicatedin Fig. l. It is to be noted that no atmospheric or other discharge ventis provided for the first two venting grooves `2 and 3, and the crossvents Ii, i2 and I6 so that the embossed vent 23 of the cover 20provides a distribution of the moisture and steam of a `greater capacityacross the bac.: of the shoe connecting the various transverse vents H,

I2 and I3.

By using an ironing shoe of the kind described, the ironing roll 22 isof the conventional padded construction but is covered with a resilientmoisture impervious fabric 2Q which protects the padding of the roll 22and also together with the shoe and its venting grooves traps the steamgenerated through the heating of the imo'istcned fabric and makes suchsteam travel in the only possible means of escape which is through theventilated shoe either for redistribution or for dispersion into theatmosphere.

It should be noted that the shoe of the present construction embodiesadditional radiation surface by reason of the grooved face thereofproviding a greater effective surface for the purpose of dissipating andtransferring heat in conjunction with the normal heat dissipatingsurface area on the contact portion of the ironing shoe I.

Various arrangements of venting means provided in the surface or face ofthe shoe may be employed. Referring to Fig. 2, illustrating thepreferred construction of crossventing and moisture dissipation in anironing arrangement as described, this view illustrates the variouszones or areas of the shoe which have been arranged fo carry out certainfunctions during the ironing operation. The vlegends in Fig, 2substantially explain the purposes of the successive areas of theironing contacting portion of the shoe which are substantially selfexplanatory. Obviously, from this view it is seen that the cross grooves2 and 3 having their confined cross venting means and the longitudinalconnecting duct means 23 provide an enclosed means for redistribution ofthe vapor or moisture that comes out of the fabric after the initialheating thereof for the purn Ypose of resoftening certain portions ofthe fabric which may not have had the same moisture content. Immediatelyafter such resoftening operation, a secondary heating zone isencountered followed by the larger drying area and. a final heating Zoneas shown in Fig. 2. This general scheme of ironing and the initialredistribution and transfer of moisture across the entire surface of thefabric is carried out throughout the modifled constructions illustratedas well as the final heating and drying areas.

Fig. 5 depicts a shoe having a diamond shaped arrangement for moistureand steam distribution wherein the individual grooves or surface ventsare disposed at 30 to the horizontal and wherein the terminal points 25of the moisture distribution area 26 are first encountered by the movingfabric so that the diverging grooves have a tendency to straighten outany wrinkles in the fabric. The drying group of vents or grooves 2l alsobegin with the points 28 connecting adjacent grooves which further tendto spread out the fabric as the same passes between the shoe of thisconstruction and the roll 22. Also, all of these cross grooves areinterconnected on the face of the shoe and venting arrangement isprovided to the rear of the shoe for the distribution and dissipation ofthe vaporized moisture from the fabric.

Fig. 6 shows a modified arrangement wherein the various grooves 29 ofthe distribution section and grooves of the drying section are arrangedin a herringbone pattern. The shoe in Fig. 7 merely illustrates the useof 45 arrangement of grooves shown at 3| and 32.

The modified constructions in Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate interruptedventing patterns having no connection longitudinally or vertically onthe face of the shoe but wherein the rear portion of the shoe isrecessed as shown in Fig. 9 at 33 and 34 to provide cross chambers atthe rear of the shoe together with the cover plate 20 for venting theopenings 35 and 36 respectively across the shoe. Suitable duct or ventconnections such as l1 in the preferred construction are then used forventing the chamber 34 to dispense the steam or moisture withdrawn fromthe area occupied by the openings 3B. In Fig. 8, the initial vents areshown at 31 While the drying vents are illustrated at 38.

Thus, with the foregoing description and the structure illustrated inthe drawings, it is seen that the present invention involves a shoehaving certain vents arranged to perform definite functions along theoperative ironing contact area of the shoe adapted for the purpose ofdistributing moisture in fabrics and nally drying and eliminating ordispersing such moisture out of the fabric being ironed, such shoe beingused in combination with a roll having a covering which is impervious tomoisture. This produces a means for more quickly drying a fabric therebyrequiring a smaller drying surface to carry out eifective ironing andflattening operations, and more efficiently than possible withconventional arrangements of ironing shoes and rolls in present day use.

Changes and modifications are contemplated in the exact form,construction, and combination of elements described without departingfrom the breadth and scope of the present invention. Such changestogether with substitution of equivalent mechanisms shall be governed bythe language of the claims appended hereto and directed to the presentinvention.

What I claim is:

l. An ironing shoe comprising a plate having an ironing surface, saidplate having grooves in said surface, and recesses formed in the rearsurface of said plate, a cover for said plate enclosing said recesses,certain of said recesses connecting certain of said grooves fordistributing vapors expelled from moistened fabrics being ironed,certain other recesses connecting other grooves for conducting vaporsaway from said fabrics, and atmospheric vent means connected with saidcertain other recesses to expel such vapors into the air and away fromthe ironing surface of said plate.

2. An ironing shoe comprising a plate having an ironing surface, saidplate having narrow grooves in said surface, and recesses formed in therear surface of said plate, a cover for said plate enclosing saidrecesses, certain of said recesses connecting certain of said groovesfor distributing vapors expelled from moistened fabrics being ironed,certain other recesses connecting other grooves for conducting vaporsaway from said fabrics, and atmospheric vent means connected with saidcertain other recesses to expel such vapors into the air and away fromthe ironing surface of said plate, said cover having a portion thereofformed to provide a larger reservoir channel adapted to connect some ofsaid plate recesses to more quickly distribute vapors longitudinallyalong the rear of said plate for redampening fabrics subjected to theironing action of said plate through said adjacently connected platerecesses.

3. An ironing shoe having a, plurality of longitudinally extendinggrooves in its ironing face, transverse ducts connecting said grooves atspaced points, said grooves being located adjacent the initial ironingportion of said shoe, a cover on the back of said shoe having a, groovefor receiving steam from said grooves and distributing the same oversaid initial ironing portion of said shoe, a plurality of longitudinallyextending grooves below said rst mentioned grooves, transverse ductsconnecting said last mentioned grooves and having exhaust means to theatmosphere.

4. An ironing shoe having an initial ironing portion and e, drying andfinal heating portion upon its front face, said shoe having grooves inits initial ironing portion, a cover on the rear face of the shoe havinga groove for receiving steam from said grooves for distributing the sameover said initial ironing portion of said shoe, said shoe having groovesin its drying portion and ducts connecting said last mentioned grooveswith the atmosphere.

5. An ironing shoe having upon its front face an initial ironing portionand a drying portion,

said shoe having grooves in said initial ironing portion, a cover on therear face of said groove having a groove for receiving steam from saidgrooves and distributing the same over said initial ironing portion ofsaid shoe, and said shoe having grooves in said drying portion withmeans extending through the back of said shoe for exhausting steam fromsaid last mentioned shoes to the atmosphere.

DAVID A. LUN'DY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain July 25, 1929

